The second of six children,
John Percy Simon was just three when his mother moved his family to the Patterson projects in the South Bronx in the early '70s. It was there that
Percy (as he was called) witnessed the birth of hip-hop. By 1979
Percee (he changed the spelling to emulate artists like
Kool Moe Dee) was writing and performing his own rhymes and by high school was a respected local force. In 1992
Percee Pmade a guest appearance on the
Lord Finesse (and former rival) song "Yes You May," followed by work with
Vakill,
Jedi Mind Tricks,
Aesop Rock, and
Cenobites, among others. Because for many years he was never officially with any one label,
Percee (or
the Rhyme Inspector) had to make his name known by hawking his own mixtapes outside Fat Beats Records in Manhattan as well as at various shows, eventually compiling many of his songs together under the title
Legendary Status (released in 2005). In 2003
Percee signed to California-based Stones Throw, which released his long-awaited solo debut,
Perseverance, in September 2007.
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